


Small Talk

by carsinoska



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-23 16:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8333725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carsinoska/pseuds/carsinoska
Summary: Some aimless talking underneath the stars.





	

The summer night was cold. It rained the other day, so it wasn’t much of a surprise. Bundled underneath his robes, Z-one hardly felt the difference anyways.

Under the stars, Z-one felt most at peace. The world was quiet. It was always quiet, of course, now that the attacks from the Machine Emperors had stopped and all that was left of the world was rubble and ashes, but at night that silence seemed most pronounced.

Tap, tap, the steady beat of the stairs rang out. They were light steps, not so much as to cover their presence, but more out of habit.

“Z-one.”

He heard those words, but he didn’t need to turn around. He already knew who it was. By the voice and the way his footsteps sounded, it was Paradox.

“What are you doing up here? It’s cold.”

“Just taking a break,” he replied.

“Hm.”

With that wordless acknowledgment, Paradox sat by his side. He also simply looked at the sky quietly. Z-one smiled. Despite having only known the other for a few months, he was already so predictable.

They sat together in silence. Paradox didn’t seem to have anything to say and the silence wasn’t entirely uncomfortable, so Z-one resumed his stargazing. It was, after all, the reason he came up to the roof. Looking at the sky made him forget about his surroundings and filled him with a sense of peace.

“It’s like nothing has changed,” Paradox finally said, after a rather long silence. “If you looked only at the sky, you wouldn’t think otherwise.”

Z-one didn’t say anything, but turned to face the other, allowing him to continue.

“As if everything is just a trifle matter for those stars.” Paradox shook his head. “Sorry, that was silly of me to say. Of course, those stars are already long past dead. They really don’t have a care for anything.”

“No, I understand what you mean,” Z-one assured him. He did understand Paradox’s words, but he couldn’t say he agreed with them. “Do you think that our efforts are in vain? That we can’t change this world because of something like ‘fate’? Because even if you consider our meddling useless, I still believe that the future will change” he said. For him, the vastness of space didn’t make him feel insignificant at all, but rather, it gave him a sense of hope. Nothing was guaranteed, so any future was possible.

“Oh, I believe in your methods,” Paradox said. “If there’s one thing that I believe in… that would be you. Even if there is something like an unchangeable course of fate, you would be the one who could oppose that.” He shook his head. “Never mind, just ignore what I said.” Maybe it was his imagination, but Paradox’s face seemed a little redder than before.

For all of his aloofness, Paradox gave Z-one his trust fairly easily. Perhaps it was because he felt some sort of camaraderie as a fellow researcher, but he always completed his tasks with efficiency and gave Z-one his full attention. Towards others, Paradox was more standoffish and cold. Whatever the reason, Paradox was a great help with the experiments, and Z-one considered him a good friend.

Antinomy had also promised him his loyalty, and he had no doubt that he would serve him to his best ability, but how long would it be until he found what they were truly looking for? Not just a restored future, but one that coincided with his life before the Invasion, a world where he could forget the tragedy that brought them together. 

But he and Paradox had little to which to return. Saving the world was more of an end goal rather than a stepping stone, unlike Antinomy. That was not to say that he held it against the other, the wish to return to his old life, but simply that he was a freer variable. If he were to taste that ideal world which he sought, Z-one was unsure that he would keep his promise.

“What’s wrong? You look like you thought of something unpleasant,” Paradox said, snapping him out of his musing.

Z-one shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s never ‘nothing’ with you.” Paradox smiled fondly. “You don’t have to say it now, if you don’t want to. But just know that I’ll always be there for you.”

“Thank you, Paradox. It means a lot to me.”

Z-one turned towards Paradox to see him more clearly, which was when he noticed that Paradox’s hand was much closer to his than he remembered. 

He took Paradox’s hands into his own. “I have cold hands, you know,” Z-one said.

Paradox flinched slightly in surprise, probably embarrassed that Z-one saw through him. “Of course, since they’re metal. I knew that,” he said when he regained his composure.

“You’re not bothered by it then?” Z-one asked. He meant the whole thing somewhat as a joke, because he was aware that his hands would be rather cold due to the night air, yet Paradox honestly didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Well, as long as I hold onto them, they’ll become warmer,” he replied, not quite looking at Z-one in the eyes.

Z-one smiled. The way he could say somewhat uncharacteristic things was rather endearing. “Ha ha, that’s true,” he laughed.

Apparently, Antinomy thought that was the best time to also come up to the roof. “Hey guys, what are you doing up so late?” he asked.

Paradox jumped and quickly let go of Z-one’s hands. Z-one, on the other hand, looked calmly at Antinomy, waving in greeting.

Paradox cleared his throat, attempting to regain his composure. “But aren’t you awake as well?”

“Aw, shush. You’re no fun as usual.”

“This is the attitude you get when you interrupt- No, never mind.”

Antinomy grinned knowingly. Paradox groaned and Z-one simply shook his head at the two of them. They were always playfully bickering, so it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

“What are you doing here, Antinomy? Have you come to look at the stars as well?” Z-one asked.

“I was just looking around for you two to make sure you weren’t doing something silly like staying up all night again. God knows if I left you guys alone, you would just talk about your theories and never sleep.”

“Thank you for your concern, Antinomy, but as you can see, it’s nothing like that,” Z-one said.

“Yes, I do see that,” he replied with that knowing smile again. “Well anyways, I’ll be going to bed now. You guys should do the same. Good night.”

“Good night, Antinomy.” Turning to Paradox, Z-one said, “Shall we leave then? Before Antinomy reprimands us again.”

Paradox sighed. “I suppose so.” 

They walked to the living quarters together, once again in silence. “Good night, Paradox,” Z-one said.

“Good night, Z-one. But before that, just one last thing.” Paradox pulled Z-one into a tentative hug. Z-one was slightly surprised, but smiled and hugged back.

“Let’s look at the stars again some other day, hm?” Z-one proposed.

“Yes, that sounds like a good idea,” Paradox replied, and briefly tightened his embrace before letting go.


End file.
